Tyrannosaurus Wrecks!

February 3, 2014
Bardhan-Quallen and OHora may not have the monopoly on the pun around which this book is based, but that doesn’t stop them from having a blast with it. They take readers to a classroom where Apatosaurus colors a picture of a volcano, Gallimimus helps build a block tower, an overalls-wearing Iguanodon reads quietly, and Tyrannosaurus—well, you can probably guess. Ohora (No Fits, Nilson!) paints this antihero as a small orange terror in a striped shirt and sneakers, but his bad behavior quickly catches up with him, and his classmates shun him: “Tyrannosaurus leaving—/ Dinosaurs are glad./ Tyrannosaurus lonely,/ Miserable, and sad.” Bardhan-Quallen’s (Duck, Duck, Moose!) verse stomps along like T-Wrecks himself, but she makes it clear he’s not a bad guy; he tries hard to make amends, and the final scene proves he’s not the only tiny dino capable of making a mistake. Punchy writing, an equally in-your-face palette, and Ohora’s characteristically brash painting style make this as much a stompalong as a readaloud. Ages 4–8. Author’s agent: Rachel Orr, Prospect Agency. Illustrator’s agent: Sean McCarthy, Sean McCarthy Literary Agency.

March 1, 2014
Primary socialization and cooperation in action--with dinosaurs, and no grown-ups in sight. Whether at the art table, doing work at the board or using blocks--"Stegosaurus stacks. / Triceratops erects. / Gallimimus builds it up"--the result is the same: "TYRANNOSAURUS... // WRECKS!" But not only does a room full of angry faces cause a change of heart in the hyperactive theropod, when his efforts to repair the damage founder on his own clumsiness, his classmates pitch in. They don't do the cleanup themselves, but they work to enable his success. That doesn't spell an end to disasters, as bulky Apatosaurus doesn't see contrite T. Rex carefully balancing a tray of juice cups and snacks...but at least this time it's not his fault. OHora adds digital color to simply drawn classroom scenes in ways that produce a flat, screen-printed look, depicting the dinos in human clothing but with recognizable attributes (they're also identified on the endpapers). Just for fun he also slips in a view of Styracosaurus practicing his "C"s by repeatedly writing "Climate Change" and a few other visual gags. Along with the pleasure of pronouncing those multisyllabic dino names, young audiences may find food for thought in the behavioral dynamics on display. (Picture book. 4-6)

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May 1, 2014

PreS-K-In the vein of many a picture book today, with a mischievous youngster in a starring role, this title features a classroom full of dinosaurs, all of whom work and play together nicely except for Tyrannosaurus, who destroys everything. (The Tyrannosaurus rex/wrecks wordplay should lead to some interesting discussions). With help from his classmates, he finally begins to behave, and in a surprise ending, a female Apatosaurus becomes the new wrecker. The brief rhyming text, which scans well, tells a story with child appeal. There is a good balance of two-to-three word sentences with large, uncluttered illustrations, making the book a good choice for reading aloud. In their simplicity, the brightly colored pictures have the look of children's art, but they enhance the classroom setting appropriately with interesting details. Many of the dinosaurs featured will be unfamiliar to young children, and curious readers may be motivated to learn more about the Stygimoloch, Gallimimus, and others.-Maralita L. Freeny, District of Columbia Public Library

Copyright 2014 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

April 15, 2014
Preschool-G Warmly colored with childlike bodies and emotive faces, Ohora's dinosaurs are among the cutest you will come across in children's books. This proves lucky, because one of them does his level best to obliterate the quiet and order of their schoolroom. While Styracosaurus copies, Stygimoloch checks, and Iguanodon picks out a book, Tyrannosauruswhat else?wrecks! Running across the crafts table and bashing block buildings, the Tyrannosaurus ruins everyone's day, until they let him know it's not appreciated. The good-natured dino doesn't like feeling left out, so he learns his lesson and tries to be better only to trip on a truck and wreck himself. Luckily, his friendly classmates pitch in to support him. All schoolboy shorts, striped shirt, and mischievous glare, this troublemaker is impossible not to root for, and his transformation from agent of chaos to (slightly clumsy) bringer of order will echo many a schoolroom drama for little readers. With a pronunciation guide on the endpapers and clear dinosaur shapes, this also makes a nifty little primer for burgeoning dino experts.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2014, American Library Association.)

July 1, 2014
All is harmony in the dinosaur classroom, except for one member with a self-control issue: "Apatosaurus colors. Pteranodon inspects. Velociraptor glitters. Tyrannosaurus...WRECKS!" Naively drawn dinosaurs with bold outlines and flat, digitally added colors pop from white pages. A text consisting primarily of simple subjects and verbs builds tension until the students band together to reform the disruptive dino. A satisfyingly high-energy, primal read-aloud.

(Copyright 2014 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

July 1, 2014
All is peace and harmony in the dinosaur classroom, except for one member with a frustrating self-control issue: "Apatosaurus colors. Pteranodon inspects. Velociraptor glitters. Tyrannosaurus...WRECKS!" Naively drawn dinosaurs with bold outlines and flat, digitally added bright colors pop from the thick white pages. A chanting text, consisting primarily of simple subjects and verbs, builds the classroom tension until the students band together on a page with an ominous black background to exile the disruptive dino. Later a sad and lonely Tyrannosaurus gets an opportunity to redeem himself and finds that his classmates are more forgiving of accidental "wrecks" than deliberate ones. Helpful endpapers highlight each featured dinosaur as a chalkboard drawing labeled with its name and pronunciation. Together the chanting rhythm, ragged lines, and setting of an un-chaperoned dinosaur class create a satisfyingly high-energy, primal read-aloud strongly reminiscent of Bob Shea's "Dinosaur vs." series. julie roach

(Copyright 2014 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)